A Storm and A Saint
by sydneythecat
Summary: Miraxus one shot dump. Will feature everything from angst, to romance, to humor, and so on. Leave a Miraxus prompt in the reviews, and I might write a wee little story with your AU theme in mind! Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

_First: Open_

* * *

"What?" His navy eyes seemed electric tonight, and she could do nothing but allow the wave of energy to wash over her.

"Mira…" He began, leaning toward her. "What's wrong?"

A man of such few words. Not one for easy conversation. Not one who understood he was desirable.

Humble to a fault.

His question was earnest; he had no clue how deeply her yearning ran. He still didn't understand what he did to her, when all he was doing was simply sitting there, taking quiet swigs from his mug of ale. He was just being. He was just sitting at her bar, existing.

Well, to anyone else.

To Mirajane, he was sparing piteous glances at Natsu as Lucy scolded him for running rampant with his firecracker temper again. He was softly smirking at Gajeel's flustered cheeks when Levy would lean just close enough to brush their shoulders together as she animatedly described her read of the week. He was nostalgically gazing at little Asuka as she sat atop his grandfather's narrow shoulders, almost as if he could see the child he used to be. Before all the mess and all the tragedy and all the bullshit that turned him into the scarred man he is now.

But Mirajane just so happened to adore that man, and she couldn't help herself as she reached a slender finger forward to gently trace the scar across Laxus Dreyar's right eye.

He froze, back ramrod straight, shoulders rigid. But she just stared, showing no sign of embarrassment, for either the blush dusting the bridge of her nose or the invasive action.

"Nothing's wrong, Laxus." She said his name like a promise, and he didn't know what to say back to something so honest, so he just sat quietly and looked at her for a while. His shoulders relaxed and he gradually settled back into his typical slouch, but his eyes were still magnets to her face. Her eyes were the kind of blue he wanted a whole sky of. Her lips had this way of tossing hand grenades at his walls, all the while dressed like an honest to God blushing half moon. He'd gladly dance with the little bombs scattered around his feet, if that meant he was worshipping this Goddess as she destroyed every cracked brick protecting his tortured head.

He realized these things all at once, in one single, soft exhale. He welcomed the insight like some feast to a dying man whom didn't know the cause was starvation. Hollow, weak, surprised. Open.

"S'long as you're okay," his stoic mouth supplied, at last.

And she just smiled. A man of such few words. Not one for easy conversation. Not one who understood he was desirable.

Humble to a fault.

She wanted nothing more than to raise him up. And she got the distinct feeling from the way he was staring at her now, that he was finally willing to let her.

* * *

**A/N: **First things first: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima owns all of that. Literally all of it. La dee da.

Second things second: I know this one's short. But it's just a little warm-up for what's the come.

Third things third: Please leave a review with a request for an AU you so THIRSTY for. I'mma get you that drink real quick, son.

xo syd


	2. Chapter 2

_Two: Teach Me To Dream_

* * *

The window slammed shut so hard she nearly considered apologizing to the pane. Her strength always surprised her when she was angry like this. Irrational. Infuriated. Inconsolable.

And he was always the one that brought her to this ledge, just daring her to jump off with that cocky smirk and his stupid worthless hands and how they weren't holding everything together because right now, they're fighting. Right now, they're screaming, and she's crying, and he's moving mountains with his mouth, and she's dropping bombs with that shitty passive aggression that always latches onto her throat when things get like this.

Why do things get like this?

Laxus blanched, and stared at her dumbly. It dawned on her then that that she had voiced her thoughts out loud.

Knowing that she couldn't take it back now, she ran with it.

"Why? Do you have any idea?" Her voice was still shaky, but her back was straight and she faced her watery eyes directly at him. "Do you have a fucking clue? Because I don't." She took a step toward him, all stone, all fire. "I don't get it." She stopped in front of him, and dared to let her gaze ascend and it hit him harder than a rampaging bull, leaving a cut so deep he knew it would never heal quite right.

"I hate it." A fresh wave of tears cascaded down her porcelain cheeks, and Mirajane's mouth hung open in a silent, distraught sob. "I _fucking_ hate it. Do you know how worthless you make me feel?"

Laxus could only stare at her. He could do nothing to rid her face from his line of sight. He was frozen. The scent of booze on his breath was seeping into his nostrils and he was disgusted with himself. He could suddenly feel how weak he felt. The months spent avoiding the guild hall, the gym, the outside world… hell, even his own wife, it all hit him in the gut with such a heavy fist that he was about to buckle at the knees.

"You have no idea how much I miss him. You have no clue how bad it's been." Mirajane's words flew out like a starving buzzard, and shackled their talons to his heart and devoured.

"You weren't the only scared kid at that funeral." Another cannibal, dead-set on eating him alive.

"You weren't the only one who lost family that day." One more undead threw itself onto his bleeding, immobile corpse.

"The last six months have been hell. We've all been busting our asses trying to make it. We've all been trying to… to be something, even without him. We're still alive." She hiccoughed, and turned away from him. "You aren't the only one who saw him die." The maggots burst to life inside his wound and began to feast upon every exposed nerve.

"But you are the only one who died with him."

And he was nothing but a pile of rotten guts she wiped from her boots. His line of sight was clear. The window was open again. He could smell her perfumed wrists, but the smell his own hermit stink and the spilled tequila and the broken glass overpowered everything, and he had to wonder if it was all just a bad dream.

But he could also smell the familiar musk of a small, fur-lined jacket, and as he conjured the image of the Wizard Saint emblem up in his weary mind, he knew… this was no nightmare.

He was wide awake.

* * *

**A/N: **I want your angst, give me your angst. Show me your angst. Do you like... angst?

Remember, leave a review with a prompt for a one shot, and I'll serve that shot up. I'll give you a whole round.

Thank you for reading, and reviewing :)

Gordon Hail: Yes, yes please. Please.

Exo-Toxicimpulse: Thank you! You just saw more of it. Lots of things are going to happen. If you're looking for a specific thing to happen, don't be bashful, and leave a review with your deepest Miraxus AU desires!

xo Syd


	3. Chapter 3

_Three: The Bad in Each Other_

[part one of two]

* * *

Would she die here, with no one knowing?

She'd be another lone grave in the middle of nowhere. Not a sacred stone to bring flowers to. No plot to weep over.

This monster of grief would sit in her stomach, and feed. It would wallow and feast. It would engorge itself on the Spring evening air that Lisanna's lungs couldn't breathe in enough of. It would fatten up on the dainty hair clip Elfman had gotten his little sister for her birthday, left solemnly on the dresser in her quiet room. It would purge in anticipation of binging on Mirajane's sweet, salty tears.

So she let them flow.

There was nothing left of her little sister to leave in the ground of a churchyard. There was nothing left to burn... just the grief that was feeding, folded deep in Mira's gut. It would burst, soon. She was doing her best to feed it in hopes that it would become satisfied, and leave her be. But she had been ignorant. If she was going to be rid of it, it was going to rid the world of her.

Parasitic, jealous bastard.

How dare it crave her for itself? How dare it make a home in her pitiful soul, only to break the floorboards and cake the curtains with blood and dust... How dare it send postcard after postcard to her mind's tired eye of a pair of gleaming sapphire blues that she'd never see crinkle at their sweeping eyelash edges again? She'd never see that smile again. She'd never hear that laugh.

And suddenly, she was angry. She was furious. It erupted within her, and knowing that not a single soul was around for miles and miles, she left her own be taken over by a devil. The mist swirled around her, dancing, enticing, seductive. She kissed every inch of it. She suckled its sensitive flesh, and it cooed in ecstasy as it ripped the last shred of her humanity to nothing but scraps of a little pink dress, stained with ruby blood at the hem.

She was afire. She was aflame. She was, each and every part of her, an omnipotent demon that would make God himself question salvation.

For how truly pitiable is it to be damned when this _strength_ is what awaits you beyond the gates of Hell?

A roar that would terrify Hades poured from her mouth, the jaw nearly coming undone from the exertion. She screamed, and screamed, and screamed when wings as black as death sprouted from her back to carry her shifting form high above the valley's grass. It was tickling her toes, and she wanted to slice the sky with claws. She wanted more. The grief inside needed more. It wasn't quite full yet. She rose ever higher, and her body changed.

The silken waterfall of silver atop her head stood on end, swirling into a hurricane crown. Her shoulders jutted forward, her back hunched until her spine was certain it would snap in two, and her hands shredded themselves in favor of birthing two giant clawed reptilian paws. They flexed and spread so wide that the joints split, and she shrieked with masochistic delight. The skin on her legs cracked and blood gushed forth, the holy light in her eyes faded away, and she was darkness.

She tasted the air, and it was different. Smoother. Iron. It burned in her throat and Mirajane screamed for what seemed like hours to expel the bitter drink from her palate. Everything was sharp, flaying her skin until the ivory curves were violent rose angles, and she hated it and loved it until she could do nothing but drink every last drop.

Little did the demon child know, she had an audience: at the edge of the clearing, high in a mighty oak tree. His eyes were sharp, his nose sharper, and he could see every detail of her grief-riddled rampage. He could smell her blood as it let from each wound. A wicked grin split his devilishly handsome face. He watched as she writhed and bellowed, amazed at the force exuding from such a deceptively beautiful creature's fit of rage. It was mesmerizing. It was horrifying.

It was powerful.

Laxus' lips parted, and he whispered to the distant succubus in all her tantrum glory.

"I like you better this way, Mira."

But then, a dam too weary, the grief inside her burst, and she fell.

He would not let her touch the ground.

* * *

**A/N: **I still don't own Fairy Tail. Frankly, I never will. If I did, it would be a lot more graphically violent.

This one is the first part of a two-shot... Thought I'd leave you with a little cliffhanger, because I like to be that person who's all, "Oh you like cake? I have cake." And then walk away and you never see me again.

Thank you so much to those who have reviewed!

Blessed Unrest: I eat angst for breakfast. It's good with a side of maggots, and almond butter. As for Miraxus fights, I figured that with the death of Makarov, Mira would revert back to the way she was before Lisanna had died, in a small way, and kind of get some of that no bullshit spunk back. I like her better that way, to be honest.

mira dreyar: I have updated! It was soon! Thank you for reviewing, sweets. :D

mama lia: I've fallen in love with youI MEAN WHAT UHM, thanks for the review!

Remember folks, when you review, you are welcome to leave an AU prompt of your liking (in fact, I would REALLY like for you to do that), and I'll write a one-shot for it if it inspires me! If it really inspires me, I'll write a two-shot, and then we'll all be drunk! Isn't that grape!? *hiccough, stagger* I might aalllllready be druh-unk. Uh bye.

xo Syd


	4. Chapter 4

This chapter's AU was requested by **BRSxANE. **

**[**_"__Liking this story Sydney-san I hope that maybe after your finished with this little angst phase you can maybe write something fluffy like Laxus acting all nervous on their first date or when he confesses feelings for Mira, but this is your story so it's your choice."_**]**

It is indeed my story, but it's a story I want you to be involved in. Thank you for your request! I hope nervous, red-faced Laxus makes you smile. He'll be the star of my dreams for several nights to come. Nervous, buff cutie with cooking skills... yes please.

* * *

_Fourth: Enigma_

* * *

There was a faint scent of jasmine in the air. Her nostrils flared and her lungs expanded, drinking in the warm summer evening breeze and the lingering notes of flora dancing on its gentle spirals before they drifted further down into the meadow. She clasped and unclasped her hands nervously where they lay in her lap, each slender digit doing its best to distract herself from her handicap…

He had blindfolded her, the mysterious dolt. But as more than just the scent of jasmine tickled her cherub nose, she had to wonder if he really was a dolt after all.

Fragrant savory smells wafted through the air now, and her mouth watered. Her ears picked up on a slight sizzling sound, as well as the swollen POP! of what she could only assume was a cork being freed from the mouth of a wine bottle. Soon after, her ears recognized the tinkling of glass bottle against crystal goblet, and she could smell the succulent Riesling as it flowed. The breeze picked up then, and she couldn't suppress the slight shiver from snaking along her collarbone and arms. And then without warning, she felt a heavy, fur-lined coat being draped across her trembling shoulders.

That mysterious… _gentleman._

Maybe he truly wasn't a dolt. Maybe he knew his way around romance. Mirajane knew going into this date that it would be an entirely new experience for the both of them. She understood that she didn't know Laxus too well. Even in their younger years, when they would occasionally go toe to toe in a sparring match as a result of her red-hot temperament, it was only ever combat. There weren't any meaningful conversations… No games of 21 questions. And after the whole Battle of Fairy Tail fiasco, she didn't particularly want to play such a game with such a man any time soon. But ever since they'd all come back from Tenrou, she'd realized little by little how very drastically such a man had changed. She didn't know the depths of that change, but she was intrigued by it. So when such a man had approached her in the guildhall late one evening as she was wringing out the umpteenth dirty bar rag of the day and asked to have a word, she had welcomed the invitation.

"Mirajane, would you like to go on a date with me?"

So formal. So polite. So… unlike him. That's when it really hit her: she didn't know this man anymore. In fact, she'd never really known him at all. His marble jaw didn't shake as he asked. His eyes steadily looked straight into hers, and Mira noticed how clear they were, autumn's early morning sky. He was the picture of confidence. Or at least he would have been, were it not for the light dust of pink across the strong bridge of his nose. Like a rhinoceros holding a flower between its colossal jaws. She couldn't help but be endeared by it.

"Yes I would, Laxus," she replied, equally as formally, matching blush for blush as her cheeks seemed to glow softly from within.

And so here they were, Mira with a blindfold obstructing her view to the goings on around her, and Laxus doing Mavis knows what behind the veil of mystery he had so ardently insisted upon hanging.

She had dressed simply enough. Lisanna was frustrated with that fact beyond reason, whining about how the first date Mirajane would be going on in three years – ten, if they counted Tenrou – deserved something more glamorous than the clean, understated ensemble the eldest Strauss had put together. But Elfman said something about real men letting their sisters make their own choices, and carted Lisanna out of the room as she wailed about him damn well letting her make her own choices then, double standards, yadda yadda… But Mira just smiled, and shut the door after them before turning around to survey her outfit for the evening.

Laxus had told her that they would be outside, but nothing else. She had assumed this wasn't a workout buddy situation, seeing as the man appeared to have more sense than to pull that stunt on a first date, so she had forgone the temptingly short gym shorts and skintight tank top reserved for such an occasion.

Instead, she had chosen an elegant, silken button-down. It was sleeveless, so she'd be comfortable in Magnolia's mild summer night air, and the cut of the shirt around her hips made it billow in just the right way, making her waist look even daintier than it already was. It didn't neglect her cleavage, either, showcasing a tasteful amount between the relaxed lapels of the collar. For bottoms, she'd chosen a pair of worn denim cut-offs. The fray of the seams wasn't so much that she looked as though she was heading out for a wild night in a barn, but just enough that it added a casual, beachy kick to her silk top. She'd thrown on some simple sandals, assuming she'd be taking them off anyway, her signature sapphire necklace, and spritzed on her favorite rose-scented perfume.

Which she now regretted, because as light of a scent as it was, it was still clouding her palate from getting a proper, uninhibited whiff of whatever delicious dinner Laxus was preparing. Sure, she was still getting some pretty good wafts. But her appetite was whetted, and she didn't much like the idea of crunching down onto a rose petal as she imagined sinking her teeth into whatever magnificent-smelling dish was being made.

They had been in silence for the last several minutes, the conversation dwindling as Laxus' focus was diverted to his cooking. Mira understood; it was hard to carry on banter and remember exactly how many tablespoons of chopped thyme belonged in which dish, so she told him not to worry, that she'd just sit here blind until he decided to "grace her eyes with his spread."

That earned her a chuckle, and a bashful, "All right, then."

The silence wasn't uncomfortable, either. It had more of a companionable feeling to it, and she'd feel hopelessly awkward trying to carry on a conversation while blindfolded, anyway.

Surrendering herself to her fate, she let her back sink down to the ground and her legs stretch out to loosely cross themselves at the ankles. One hand propped itself under her head, while the other reached out to languidly weave through the grass at the edge of the picnic blanket she was lying on. Her thoughts began to drift… From next month's rent to this peculiar moment in time, on a date with Laxus, being led into mystery by the gentle warmth of his strong hands. She couldn't help but wonder where his thoughts were wandering, too…

/

Panic. Panic. Panic. Where was that head of garlic? He could have sworn he just had it. Panic. What happened to the truffle oil? Where's the coarse pepper? Panic. It's in the bag. Over by the blanket. The bag is turned over. Next to an anthill. Panic. Mirajane is laying down right next to the anthill…which is now spewing angry ants FUCK PANIC.

Laxus, in all his hectic glory, leapt away from his dinner duties and scooped Mirajane, blanket, coat, and all, into his arms. The white-haired woman squeaked and clutched the front of his shirt.

"What's going on?!" She queried, frantic. His forehead beaded with sweat as he did his best to rally and reclaim whatever composure was left within him. He cleared his throat, and looked around for a suitable spot to deposit his date and the picnic blanket.

"Everything's fine. I just need to relocate you," He smoothly replied, skillfully avoiding the devilish cracks his unsteady nerves were trying to break into his voice. The girl's hold on his shirt loosened, and he stole a look down at her. She was biting her lower lip, her eyebrows scrunching together in concern. It was adorable.

"Don't worry," he said lowly, trying to give the fretting girl some comfort. He settled on a spot that was slightly more upwind of his little makeshift cooking station, and set Mirajane back down onto the ground after thoroughly scouring the nearby area for any anthills or otherwise. He quickly straightened the blanket back out, and righted his coat back on the blindfolded girl's shoulders, and before he could stop himself he brushed his fingers through her slightly mussed hair.

He messed it up, so he'd fix it. Right?_ …Right?_

_I'm such an idiot._

"Are you comfortable?" He asked quickly, hoping to breeze right past the fact that he'd just run his hand through her amazing hair. From what he could see there wasn't a blush on her face, so maybe she hadn't even noticed._ Please Mavis, tell me she didn't notice._

Mirajane smiled a little, her brows still knit together in confusion. But she mumbled a little "Yes," and settled herself down into the blanket and Laxus' coat once more.

"It will be ready in ten minutes," Laxus supplied, and her forehead's worry was smoothed out by a bright smile on her pink lips. She nodded excitedly, and made herself comfortable again, rustling around until she was content.

He just stared at her for a quiet moment as she lay there, drinking in the strange sight of her being so casual and trusting with him.

She truly was beautiful, just like every magazine claimed. Just like every rumor whispered. Just like every man dreamed. But there were things that the reporters and the gossips and the fanboys simply didn't know. Like the fact that right now, Mirajane was doing her best to make herself comfortable because she was uncomfortable with the idea of being cooked for. That was the whole reason Laxus had blindfolded her; she certainly wouldn't give up the reins willingly, and she certainly wouldn't want to make anyone else go out of their way to serve her. But that's exactly what he wanted to do tonight.

And that's exactly what he would fail to do if he didn't get his ass in gear right this second. With a newfound confidence, he sprang into action. First, he sent a miniscule zap of lightning into the offending anthill, destroying all its inhabitants and eradicating the pest problem. Then, he grabbed the bag with the garlic, truffle oil, and coarse pepper, allotting the proper amount of each into their assigned dish, and let it all stew together. He then busied himself with putting the finishing touches on the meal's sides, sprinkling a little cayenne here, dashing a bit of salt there. Somewhere during his ministrations, he began to consider exactly what he was in the middle of.

Making dinner for Mirajane Strauss…

In a lush meadow bordering on a crystal clear stream…

On a romantic picnic dinner date…

…Their **_first_** date.

Panic. Panic. Pa- NO.

Laxus squashed the anxiety as quickly as it had burst to life, and paused his task to steal another glance at the date in question as if reassurance lay within her picturesque state. And so, it did.

She was still, her body draped carelessly across the blanket, and he noticed one of her hands curled in the mass of fur lining his coat. There was a serene smile on her angel mouth, and he felt his feet forget gravity as the hairs on his arms stood on stock, stiff end.

Truthfully, he didn't know her very well. They'd never had important things to say to one another. Hell, one of the few conversations he'd had with her, he was bribing her to force Lucy Heartfilia into the role of his personal arm candy. His face turned red at the thought, embarrassed by the corruption that once threatened to ruin him for good… to ruin his family, too. But he was different, now. And for some reason that he couldn't quite place, he believed Mira knew that. So yeah, he didn't know her inside and out like her sister did. He'd never had heart to heart conversations with her like that drunk, Alberona. He'd never gotten the opportunity to be in her debt for handling the rambunctious guild in his absence, like his grandfather.

But he knew that she loved her sister and her brother more than damn near anything on the planet, and that she'd seen her fair share of the dry side of mercy. He knew that she'd gone from spitfire to saint, and he wanted to know why. He knew her pretty smile masked a mountain of razor sharp wit. He knew she could take a punch, and that she could throw one ten times as hard. He knew she had a big heart.

And he knew no one cooked for her. So, he figured he could try.

The cooking was done, the spread was laid; all that was left was to unveil it.

Mirajane's cheeky remark from earlier danced through his head, and he snorted.

"All right, Miss Strauss." He walked over to where she lay on the blanket, and intercepted her as she pushed herself up by reaching forward to gently pull her the rest of the way by the shoulders.

She paused, her mouth making the smallest "O" in surprise, her eyebrows shooting into her hairline. Laxus just smiled at her reaction, finding a sort of camaraderie in the blush that stained her cheeks. His own were flaming as he let his fingers trail from her shoulders down her arms, across her elbows, to her delicate wrists. He locked his hands with hers, doing his best to bite down the carnal reaction that erupted within him at her response to his ginger contact. Her blush had grown even stronger, and god damned pearly whites once again latched onto her succulent lower lip. What was adorable earlier became dangerously sexy, and he had to make a concerted effort to tone down his neon skin before doing anything else.

"Are my eyes about to be graced with the spread of the century?" She asked coyly, a taunting grin replacing the surprised purse of her lips from his earlier caress. He met that grin with an excited smirk of his own, and chuckled.

"I damn well hope so," he replied, and reached behind her head to grab the knot of the silk scarf hiding the world from her vision. He didn't miss the soft gasp she did her best to hush or the way her hands had balled together in her lap, and with a light flick of his wrist, the blindfold fell from her eyes.

As she opened them, eyelashes fluttering and ocean orbs gleaming in the warm glow of near dusk, he felt his own blindfold fall to the ground. She was a breathtaking first sight. They sat there for what felt like hours, him kneeling in front of her with Mira looking at him like she'd just woken up to the most beautiful morning, and Laxus felt a rock climb up his throat. The panic threatened to rise again, but then, something incredible happened.

She smiled. All teeth, open mouthed, eyes wide, shoulders and chest rising and it was like she was Poseidon's wave and he was a shipwrecked sailor, and she carried him away from everything he'd ever known. He could do nothing but return the genuinely ecstatic gesture and get swept further out to sea. He sat down beside her and committed to remaining lost with her in the depths, so long as he would see that smile again. That was all the air his lungs needed.

/

Mirajane was shackled by crippling amazement. He was most certainly, absolutely_ not_ a dolt.

Wordlessly, he handed her a glass of wine, and nodded toward the food before them.

Her skilled chef's eye identified each dish, and with each realization, her hunger and awe grew. There was roast duck with a truffle glaze, garlic fingerling potatoes, peppered greens, and sautéed cayenne squash. Off to the side in an open icebox, she recognized her favorite dessert: white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. He must've asked Lisanna or Elfman about it. Her eyes brightened even more at the idea of such a thoughtful gesture, and she did something she could not resist. Faster than either one of them could've anticipated, she leaned up toward him and pressed a whisper of a kiss to his rough cheek.

"Thank you," she said, no more than a breath away from his glow in the dark blushing face; hers wasn't much better off, cheeks and nose an impossibly bright crimson… the two could probably be seen from space at this point.

He cleared his throat, and looked away, pushing a hand through his spiky hair as he sputtered out, "You're welcome. Please, help yourself."

She giggled. There was that weird formal tone again. She reached over and smacked him on the thigh, and his head snapped around with an incredulous look in his eyes.

"You, too,_ sir_," she said, that coy kitten mouth curling at the edges again. He arched a brow and grinned, and began filling up a plate. She reached for the one he'd left, but he gently pushed her hand back.

"This one's yours," he said, an insistent air to his words. His face told her she would not win this battle, and as frustrated as it made her to be so pampered this way, she fought down the urge to protest. She simply nodded, blush still in full effect, and replaced her hands into her lap. He finished assembling her dinner, and handed it to her with a small smile. She took it, giving him a shy one of her own, and waited for him to fill his own up. When he didn't move to do so, she cocked her head to the side.

"You're eating, right?" She asked, and he nodded.

"You're trying it, first."

One thing after another was confusing and delighting and surprising her with this man. He was the strong, silent type. He wasn't one to show affection publicly. In fact, he seemed to barely tolerate it or shy away from it entirely. Rarely smiled. Hardly talked. Certainly wasn't commonly mistaken for a chef of grandeur, but here he was, having prepared an incredible meal for the both of them. He was touching her hair and holding her hand, helping her up. Filling her plate. Smiling freely at her. And Mirajane, while partial to surprises, was tired of being the only one receiving them this evening. So, without overthinking her next actions, she boldly turned to fully face him. It caught him off guard, and the confusion was painted all over his face.

"No, you are," she said, and pushed a forkload of duck toward his flustered mouth. Without waiting for him to accept, she met cutlery with lips so that he had no choice but to open up. The fork landed in his mouth, and he stared at her dumbly, cheeks puffed out. With a couple of owlish blinks, he began to chew.

She could hardly contain her laughter. Laxus looked so much like a little kid, and she found it irresistibly cute. Her wasn't a dolt after all, but he seemed to know his way around romance just as much as her: not at all.

She was swept up in the boyishly bashful glances he would throw her way, in the sweetness he showered her with in the smallest ways… like the quiet coat still resting on her back. She was enamored even by his silence. She wanted to know as much about him as he would allow, and then some.

"Laxus?"

He stopped chewing, looking at her with those velvet navy eyes, and nearly choked on the food in his mouth. She just giggled again and reached a hand forward to rest on his knee.

"Laxus, would you like to go on a second date with me?"

He blinked, and she could practically see the wheels turning around in his head. They weren't even halfway through their first date, and she was already committing to a second? She could hardly believe it herself, but her understanding from earlier was guiding her actions. They didn't know each other nearly as well as some would assume. And she wanted to change that. There was only one way to go about doing it, too. Keep doing this. Awkward, sweet, funny, delicious _this_. She was willing if he was.

"Yes I would, Mirajane."

A smile unlike any she'd seen on his face before bloomed across his lips, and she saw his grandfather there. She could see the carefree boyhood of a Fairy Tail child. The distant memory of dancing in Fantasia's lights for all to see. The dark interior of a tent after a tiring job filled by the hysterical laughter of his overly exhausted teammates, and his rare guffaws soaring through the joyous chorus of bonds thicker than blood. The act of filling up a plate for a woman who made him nervous.

She wanted to read the book of Laxus Dreyar. Little did she know, he wanted the same of her.

And so, they picked up each other's tomes. The spines were stiff and the pages were starchy, unaccustomed to being turned. Untouched enigmas. But the print was bold and the leather was worn, and with a sigh of insurmountable relief, they each fell open to the first page.

And this is where they began.

* * *

**A/N:** Shoutout to Microsoft Word's Spelling and Grammar check for suggesting about 57 times that I change "Laxus" to "Lexus." That man is a damn luxury tank and I approve of this incredibly accurate spelling recommendation.

Here's a little first date fluff for you! It's far longer than anything I've put out in this story thus far, so I hope that satiates your hunger for some Miraxus sweets. Next chapter will be Mira and Laxus playing that game of 21 Questions! ;D And then we'll be back to... angst. I mean let's be real. I luh dat shit.

Oh, by the way, I don't own Fairy Tail. I forgot that fact for a brief moment. But yeah. I don't. Ugh. I mean Hiro Mashima does and he's doing a really great job with it but like… where's the blood baths/super detailed cooking montages? Come ON, man!

Thank you for reading, and remember! Leave a review with an AU you'd like to see, and I'll do my best to bring it to life.

Blessed Unrest: I'm really interested in her younger self! There's not much canon backstory, but the little we've got is very telling... I want to play with it a lot, so you'll see a fair amount of that. As for her S-Class exam, HELL yes. That's in the works. You know how they face off against the other S-Class mages? Wellllll well well, what if Mira had chosen a path that brought her to face off with Laxus? *rubs hands together evilly* I WILL MAKE THEM DESTROY EACH OTHER.

BRSxANE: I obviously loved this idea, since this is your chapter haha! I hope you enjoy it :)

mavin: You got it, dude. I will say that it won't be every time that the chapters are this length. I am right in the peak stress levels of this semester at school, and there are a lot of obligations there. So sometimes I just neither have the time nor the inspiration to write anything overly lengthy. Sometimes it happens, though. Stay tuned for that.

xo Syd


	5. Chapter 5

_Fifth: Guy's Night Out Gone Wrong_

[part one of two]

* * *

He'd spared no expense when it came to his looks. From day one, he made sure he knew his way around the gym and that he never looked like a bag full of fast food. His hair gel smelled like billionaire status, and the way his jeans hung on his hips put an itch in the fingertips of any woman whose gaze lingered too long. The scar across his right eye only added to the bad boy standard he was flawlessly upholding. Barely there stubble, ripped shirts, industrial looking leather boots and two hoops hanging from his left ear all worked together to leave one hell of an impression: sex. And he knew it. That was his whole damn goal.

But she walked past him like she couldn't give _two shits_ he even existed.

Laxus elbowed Bixlow in the ribs to get his attention, and his best friend turned around.

"What the hell, ma-" he stopped midsentence when he saw the shocked, dazzled, absolutely dumbstruck look on Laxus' face. "Yo. What's wrong with ya?"

"That girl…" was all he could say.

Bixlow followed Laxus' gaze to a retreating female back, head sporting a waterfall of wild white curls and hips equipped with a set of curves that had his mouth falling open in disbelief.

_"Yo."_

"She didn't even look at me."

Bixlow's head snapped back to look at his friend, and he scoffed. "Okay, asshole. So what? You're all right, man. But she…" He let out a low whistle and returned his gaze to the girl in question, whose back was still to the twosome. "That's the kind of girl who ain't gonna look at just anybody."

"Yeah well, I ain't just anybody," Laxus growled out. He threw back the shot of tequila the bartender had just slid his way, slammed the empty glass down on the counter, and started towards the mystery woman.

"Dude! Under the circumstances, you're basically _nobody_!" Bixlow shouted after him, and received only a dismissive wave in response as Laxus waded through the crowd of people. Bixlow sighed and shook his head, muttering, "what an dumbass," under his breath when a second white-haired beauty turned around from her perch on the barstool to his left and smiled slyly.

"Your friend's about to get ripped apart," she said coyly. Bixlow looked over to her and was about to ask how she even knew, but froze in his tracks when he saw the girl's face. Big, curious blue eyes peered out from a thick fringe of black eyelashes, and a disheveled snow-white pixie cut sat in artful disarray atop her head. That cherubic nose and kitten mouth caught him so off guard he stumbled into the stool next to her, every concept of "smooth" flying right out the window.

"How'd you figure that?" He asked, staring at the beautiful girl dumbly.

"She's my sister," she said as she picked up her drink. "And he's catching her in a mood." Bixlow couldn't miss the shiver that flew across the girl's body, and he felt a knot of anxiety form in his chest for his friend.

"What the… what does that mean?" He asked.

"You'll see, handsome."

* * *

Not five minutes later, in the middle of a cozy conversation with the white-haired beauty who'd introduced herself as Lisanna, Bixlow saw a man-shaped speeding bullet fly through the air out of the corner of his eye. Lisanna's knowing giggle told him what he suspected: the bullet was Laxus, and he was indeed going to be ripped apart.

The crowd parted and out stepped the sexiest monster he'd ever seen. She towered over Laxus where he sprawled across the floor, and the poor bastard could do nothing but stare up in awe. He was so far gone he didn't have a shred of his pride left to spur any egocentric anger into action. The woman at fault cocked one of those poisonous hips out, and rested a slender hand on the crook of it. Her white hair fell over her shoulder, and her bangs hung mysteriously in front of her eyes. She was wearing an impossibly tight corset and some ripped up, faded jeans that hugged her legs in all the right places. A pair of bright red heels adorned her feet, and she moved to spear one of the six-inch devils between Laxus' legs, just inches away from the spot that would make or break him. She held it there, an obvious threat, and the most terrifyingly arousing thing Bixlow had ever seen happened.

Her crimson lips smiled, and she lifted her head. The bangs fell away from her face, and eyes the likes of which he'd never seen were looking down at his best friend in a fearless taunt._ Come get me, if you dare._

Bixlow felt a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck, but Lisanna's words snapped him out of his budding dominatrix fantasies.

"Oi, Mira, knock it off," she called to her sister, and lazily sipped at the vodka soda in her hand. Like this was all routine. Totally casual.

"But he's an idiot," the woman, Mira, replied in a velvet voice as the heel of her shoe inched dangerously closer to Laxus' diamond zone. Bixlow's jaw hit the floor, and he realized he had to do something or else Laxus was going to become a unic.

He practically fell out of the barstool and jogged over to the pair, throwing his hands up in front of his chest as a sign of peace.

"Hey, hey, he's real full of 'imself but he's all right." He chuckled breathlessly, clearly nervous. "Go easy on 'im, will ya, sweetheart?" He asked Mira, whose piercing eyes shifted focus to his anxious red ones. He felt glued to the spot under that stare, completely at her mercy.

"Yeah? All right," she smirked, and the dangerous heel retreated. She straightened up and crossed her arms, tossing her hair out of her face. There was a strange glint to her eyes, and he could swear he saw a flash of fire in the dark blue irises.

"I'll go easy on him, _sweetheart_."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Bixlow was supporting most of Laxus' weight as they trudged down the sidewalk outside the bar. The blonde's nose was bleeding and he had a bruise on his left eye Bixlow just knew was gonna be black and blue by the morning.

"I'm gonna marry that woman," Laxus coughed out.

"What the hell did ya even say to her t'get that kinda ass kickin', you freakin' moron?!"

"I just told her how she looked."

Bixlow knew how she looked. Damn good. Good enough that when a man like Laxus tried to articulate _just how good_, he'd end up like this.

"I told you not to, dude," Bixlow sighed out, and readjusted the weight of Laxus' arm across his shoulders.

His friend only chuckled, and repeated again his commitment to marry that glorious monster of a woman, saying it was worth it.

"Besides," he paused, and looked over at his blue-haired friend. "Not only did I get her number-"

"She gave you her number!?" Bixlow shouted incredulously.

"Yeah, said somethin' about how she likes a man who don't cry when he bleeds."

"Oh, so she's crazy, awesome."

"I'm into it."

Bixlow groaned exasperatedly. Laxus was just as crazy as that demon woman, it seemed.

"Anyway, I got her sister's number, too. She wanted me to give it to you."

Bixlow's head nearly popped off his shoulders in excitement; he stopped walking and stared at Laxus, mouth hanging open in a stupor.

"Yeah, here," he said, and reached up to pull one of the papers that had been stuffed up his nose to stop the bleeding up. He messily unfolded it and tucked the partially soaked scrap into Bixlow's shirt pocket.

"What…the…hell."

A shit-eating grin split Laxus' face.

"I hate you," Bixlow said as he took the paper out of his pocket to examine, and found Lisanna's cell phone number written out in swirly script along with a little scribbled heart. Laxus' blood had ruined the lipstick kiss she'd planted over the scrawl. Bixlow felt his face heat up in a blush. Wordlessly, he reached a balled fist over toward Laxus, who met it with his own in a congratulatory fist bump.

"I do hate you, though. SO much."

"I'M GONNA MARRY THAT GIRL!" Laxus shouted into the quiet 2 A.M. streets.

"You're an idiot."

"GONNA MARRY MIRA! It sounds good, doesn't it? I like it."

"Please shut up."

* * *

**A/N: **So I said this one was gonna be the 21 questions chapter, but that thing is fighting me SO HARD and this one didn't. So here, have this one. So in order of appearance, the next chapters will be: 21 Questions, Mira's S-Class Exams, and then The Bad In Each Other part two.

Back to this chapter! This is Mirajane without the catalyst of Lisanna's death, and it's a bar hopping AU. This is part one of two, and the second part will focus on Mirajane and Lisanna's POV. I wanted to play with the idea of them encountering each other's closest friends, and the idea of a girl's night out and a guy's night out, so I picked Bixanna as opposed to Elfgreen. Mainly because Elfman would've been an overly protective bro and that kind of dynamic sort of dictates everything else that goes on, but also because I love Bixanna. To an unhealthy degree. :D

As always, THANK YOU for reading! And please leave a review with a Miraxus AU you'd like to see! I already have one request in the works, and would love a few more. Throw it on the taaaaaable I'mma pick it uuuuuuup.

Blessed Unrest: if only all first dates were like that - RIGHT? ugh. please. hahaha I loved making him anxious! I'm convinced he's one of those who does his best to act all cool and calm for the sake of others, but is a total mess on the inside in situations like this. And the anthill was the perfect catalyst to freak him out. *squeals unattractively*

Guest: HEY GUEST. Laxus is purdy cute, I agree. Thank you for reading and reviewing, lovely!

xo syd


	6. Chapter 6

_Sixth: 21 Questions_

* * *

"If you were an animal, which one would you be and why?"

Laxus chewed his lip thoughtfully. "What a weird question."

Mirajane only smiled and poked his bicep, encouraging him to answer.

"What a weird game, actually," he added.

"You're the one who wanted to play it, mister!" Mirajane shot back with a wide mouthed smile. She sat up and knelt beside him, knees tucked beneath her. They were side by side in the grass of the training field behind the guildhall. Laxus had strolled in that evening with a large basket in hand, and asked Mira if she wanted to take a break from bar duties. She had agreed and followed him outside. When Laxus plopped down onto the ground rather unceremoniously and patted the patch of fluffy grass beside him in invitation, Mira was confused, but obliged.

"Let's play that 21 questions… thing… game." His awkward mouth stumbled over the suggestion, and she could swear there was a slight blush sitting on his sharp cheekbones. He pulled a six-pack of beer from the basket he was carrying, and then produced a bottle of wine and a tall glass.

"Liquid bravery," was all he offered by way of explanation, and prepared their respective drinks, uncorking the bottle and pouring her a healthy glass before popping the cap off of one of the beers.

Mirajane's confusion vanished: he wanted them to get to know each other better. This was promising. With a big smile and an excited nod of the head, the game began.

Laxus took her by surprise yet again, and volunteered to go first. It was definitely an icebreaker game, and he was taking the awkward bullet first to spare her.

She'd already asked him a few: what's your favorite movie, what's the weirdest thing you've eaten, if your life were a movie what would its title be… So far all his answers (Braveheart, Wyvern testicles, "Tried To Kill My Family Once, Then I Got Super Zen") had piqued her interest, and had started a few conversations that felt easy and fun. They had to thank the alcohol a little, but ultimately, the game was doing its job and the walls were coming down. Laxus was showing her a side of him that she imagined few people had ever seen: goofy with a dash of dry humor. She would be lying if she said she wasn't enchanted by the unexpected turn of events.

"Answer," she said. He was sprawled out nonchalantly, eyes closed, hands folded behind his head. A small grin danced on his lips, and he chuckled softly.

"Make fun of me all you want…" he began, and took a full swig of beer. He swallowed, licked his lips, and spoke with no measure of hesitation.

"I'd be a mountain goat."

Mira was flabbergasted. She couldn't suppress the snort of disbelief.

"A… mountain goat," she said, incredulous giggles spilling from her mouth. "A mountain goat?!"

Laxus just lay there, fighting back his own guffaws, face redder than a fire truck. "Come on, they're badass! You ever seen one climb? It's like they're floating." He paused and rolled over onto his side to stare her straight in the eyes, serious as could be. "They can basically _fly_, Mirajane." His mouth broke into a wide smile. He knew how to laugh at himself, apparently. "And they sound cool," he tossed in for good measure, but couldn't keep himself from snorting at how dumb he sounded.

Mira burst into a new round of giggles at that, after conjuring up the mental image of Laxus' head on a goat's body and bleating.

"The Raijin Goat Tribe!" She squealed, falling back onto the grass in her excited fit. "Freed would have h-horns… in his hair!" That earned a loud guffaw from Laxus, and the two wizards descended into madness at the thought.

They lay there for a minute or two, both flat on their backs and quietly chuckling from time to time. After a while, they relaxed into a companiable silence. Mirajane had her eyes closed, and Laxus rolled his head over to look at her.

"What else?" He asked. "Lay it on me."

"Hm…" She hummed as she thought, then smiled.

"I can't think of any right now. Why don't you ask me a couple?"

He grinned at her suggestion, and took the opportunity to scoot closer to her. He'd had all six beers by this point, and his inhibitions were nowhere to be found.

She heard the rustling of his movements and opened her eyes to see Laxus propped up on an elbow, hovering closer than she would've anticipated. Breath caught in her throat as she realized if she tried to sit up even a couple inches, their lips would collide. Without warning, he brought a hand up and placed a finger beneath her chin.

"Do you mind if I break the script, and ask an unusual question?" He murmured, and the anticipation in Mira's chest nearly burst. She slowly shook her head, and he smirked. Her stomach was doing backflips.

His eyes held a gravity to them she'd never seen before. His mouth was slightly parted, and she could feel his soft, warm breath fan over her face… The smell of his cinnamon tongue put a haze over her mind. Suddenly, he was leaning closer, and her body tensed. He came closer and closer, but bypassed her face completely at the last second and then his mouth was right next to her ear. An involuntary shudder flew down her spine to her hips. She could hear him breathing, and she fancied it the sexiest sound she'd ever heard. She let her eyelids flutter shut, and she unthinkingly leaned closer to his mouth, expecting him to take her earlobe into it. Her hand abandoned the glass of wine… was this her fourth? Fifth? She didn't even care anymore. She tangled her fingers into his spiky blonde hair, encouraging him to close the distance and seal the deal. Mirajane was neck deep in the intimacy and _begging_ him to take her under. She heard Laxus' lips part, and in a breathy, almost inaudible whisper… _This was it!_ Her hormones practically screamed. _This is it! This is it,_ they chanted excitedly. He inhaled slowly, and…

"Would you…" The gravel of his voice rolled over her, and she bit her lip.

_"…kiss a goat?"_

Her ribs were going to break, she knew it. He couldn't keep up the act anymore either, and flopped over onto his back, face painted in a roaring blush, and laughed louder than she'd ever heard. She couldn't help but join in, and the two of them were a complete mess again, laughing until their sides ached and their smiles burned at the corners.

Mirajane had tears in her eyes. The laughing had made her feel so weak, but she managed to pry her limp body off of the ground and crawl over to where Laxus had flung himself. He was still chuckling away, too busy to notice her advance. She knelt in front of him, and grabbed the collar of his purple shirt.

He snapped out of his daze, and realized he was being pulled up.

"No," she said, breathless and smiling, "no, I would not kiss a goat." She pulled his face closer to hers, and wound her arms around his shoulders.

"So don't turn into one right now."

Her lips caught his, and the sweet taste of Chardonnay mixed with the bitter cinnamon lingering in his mouth. Much to her delight, he groaned softly and wrapped his arms around her waist, responding in kind to her not so shy embrace. She hooked her legs over his hips and straddled his lap, and sunk her teeth into his lower lip. He hissed and pulled her closer, breaking contact with her mouth to trail soft nips and kisses down her willowy neck. She weaved her fingers through his hair and leaned her head, giving him as much access as he wanted to the tender flesh of her neck and collarbone. He had just begun to gently bite her shoulder when he snapped up, and pulled away from her.

"Wait, wait," he said, his words a little slurred from the beer, but mostly from her intoxicating embrace. "I wanted to ask you serious questions, too," he said.

Mirajane blanched at first, and then giggled before pushing him down on the ground. She hovered over him, and put a hand on the side of his face.

"My favorite movie is_ La Vien Rose_." She placed a kiss on the left side of his neck.

"The weirdest thing I've ever eaten was a Vulcan tail." She ghosted her lips over the right side.

"If my life were a movie, the title would be, 'Schizophrenia Can Be Cute,'" she moved up to kiss his forehead softly, and then down the bridge of his nose.

"And if I were an animal…" She leaned down to hover above his lips, a smile stretching her own. "I'd be a shark."

"I'd kiss one of those," Laxus rumbled.

"No, you wouldn't." Mira replied.

"You're right. I wouldn't."

"Good thing I'm not one."

"Good thing I'm not a goat."

"Shut up and kiss me."

"Yes, ma'am."

And so, the sun set on the streets of Magnolia. Its dying rays washed over an intoxicated couple sprawled across the lush grass of Fairy Tail's training field… After failing miserably to complete a game even a six year old would have the patience to get through, Mirajane Strauss and Laxus Dreyar spent that evening being thankful that neither one was a mountain goat or a great white shark, and happily fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

**A/N: **...and the next morning, they quickly realized that the guild would never let either of them live the previous evening down.

_"A MOUNTAIN GOAT?" Gajeel squawked, spitting his drink in Laxus' unamused face. _

_"YOU..." Cana rolled around on the ground in her fit, her bright face shining with tears as she howled at Mirajane. "YOU K-KISSED A LIGHTNING G-GOAT!" _

_In the corner, Freed quietly sobbed. "Tribe of the Lightning Goat... We can m-make... it work..." Bixlow and Evergreen held him as he dissolved into tears, rambling about how long it took him to get the lightning bolt hairstyle JUST right._

_In the distance, the unmistakable sound of Natsu bleating and proceeding to laugh until he shat his pants could be heard._

They're both crazy and perfect for each other and you can't tell me otherwise. I definitely took a lot of liberties with Laxus' behavior in this one, but I figure he's so solemn and collected when he's sober that he's GOT to be a goofball kid idiot when he's drunk with someone he's comfortable around.

Anyway! The chapter lineup is as follows: Mira's S-Class Exams, The Bad In Each Other [part two of two], Girl's Night Out Gone Right [part two of two], and then a surpriiiiiise!

Blessed Unrest: I have a theory that Bixlow is just so unapologetically honest, sans the whole Raijin Tribe. They all love each other, yeah, but Bixlow is not having any of Laxus' shit when it's just the two of them. As for Laxus jumping the marriage gun, let's be real - who WOULDN'T where Mirajane is concerned? ;) lady's the whole package. Hell, I'd ask her to marry me on the spot.

guest: here is the next chapter! thank you so much for reviewing. :) hope you enjoyed!

mira dreyar: thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it! as for Bixanna, ohhh I just couldn't help myself! they're my OTP to be honest. There will be another helping of them in part two, so I hope you enjoy that just as much. :)

Gordon Hail: their strength is totally on par in the canonverse, if you ask me. If they were both fired up enough, I doubt one would win over the other in a really good, determined fight. But that concept is going to be more thoroughly explored in the next chapter with Mira's exams... :)

Guest: You'll get to see the whole fight in part two of that AU! :D I plan on having Mira show zero mercy, both before and after Bixlow intervenes!

violets sparkle: thank you deary! i'm happy you enjoyed it. i shall keep up the work, and hopefully it's still considered good. ;D

Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following, all that jazz. Makes my heart happy! Please don't forget that the goal of this one-shot dump is to fulfill the readers' AU needs, so go ahead and leave a request for an AU you'd like to see in the review section! I'll do my best to bring it to life. :) The next chapter is an AU request from Blessed Unrest, Mira's S-Class Exams! Thank you again for reading, guys. See ya'll soon.

xo syd


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